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| HISTORY
OF GOREE |
Yet the Island of Gorée's
history is definitely less idyllic .
It was discovered in 1444 by Portuguese sailors
under the orders of Denis Dias ; the island
was named "Palma" but it
was also referred to as "Beseguiche"
and the locals called it "Ber"
or "Bir".
The Dutch navy seized it in 1588 ; the island
was then re-named "Goede Reede"
(Good Harbour) hence its present name "Goree".
On November 1st 1677, vice admiral d'Estrées
took hold
of it on behalf of the king of France.
In 1785, the Chevalier
de Boufflers, Governor of Senegal, who
wasn't that fond of Saint-Louis
moved his residence to Goree.
The island was then occupied by the English
before it was restored to France in 1817.
The island offered sailors many an advantage
: safe moorage, close to a continent that
offered great opportunities of commerce and
facilities for the defence of the territory,
such reasons caused European nations to fight
over their possessing it.
Goree's prosperity was due to commerce, mainly
slave-trade,
which was the very basis of the setting up
of the American colonies' economies.
Thus Gorée was one of those places
of transit where captives were gathered, locked
up, then taken on board and shipped over the
ocean.
The abolishment of slavery in 1848 doomed
the prospects
the island dreamed of. |
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Dakar
was founded in 1857 and the whole activity
moved there rapidly.
The population of the island dwindled from
5,000 inhabitants in 1832 to 600 in 1931.
The island was annexed to Dakar
in 1927.
Thanks to its curator's efficient guidance,
Joseph N'Diaye, the visitor will discover
"La Maison
des Esclaves" (fee : 200 CFA - closed
on Mondays ).
This house was once owned by signare Anne
Pépin's brother, (Anne Pépin
was Chevalier
de Boufflers's mistress) . |
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